Each
year the Merced Symphony presents Children’s Concerts
to 3,000 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students from throughout
Merced County. We work with the Merced County Office of
Education (MCOE) to bus students to each our free concerts
at the Merced Theatre downtown. The Los Baños Unified
School District (LBUSD) handles reservations for the two
concerts held at the Pacheco HS Theater in Los Baños.
The concerts are planned to appeal to elementary students.
Teacher packets are provided to teachers ahead of time
to help prepare their students for the performance. The
information includes a CD of the music to be played as
well as information about the music, the composers, and
the symphony orchestra. MSA usually features our Youth
Audition winner(s) at one of our season concerts. These
concerts prove to be very popular with the teachers and
students who attend. Here are a few quotes:

I learned that music can change your mood.

I learned that playing is hard and you have a big
part no matter what [the] instrument.

In the theatre on ‘Hedwig’s Flight’
I closed my eyes and pictured flying. It was really
fun.

The
2017-2018 Season will be our 60th consecutive year of
bringing exceptional classical music to the Merced community.
Enclosed is an application for the Merced Symphony Youth
Auditions which are being cosponsored this year with Merced
College. We hope you will encourage any students you feel
are capable to enter the competition. Also, feel free
to copy the application and share it with other music
teachers and students.

Qualifications:

Contestants must be able to perform proficiently on
a musical instrument or in voice.

Concerto performed should be from standard concert
repertoire.

Vocal competition should include two contrasting selections.

THIS YEAR’S
COMPETITION IS SATURDAY, October 14, 2017 from 11:00
AM to 1:00 pm at Merced College. Students will report
at least 15 minutes ahead of their assigned time to
Music Room 1 which is located in the building behind
the Merced College Theater. There are practice rooms
available and a place for parents to wait during the
auditions. The schedule for the auditions will be determined
by the number of applicants and the distance they are
travelling and will be given the week preceding the
auditions.

Contestants
must be under the age of 21 as of January 1, 2018.

Contestants must provide three (3) copies of the music
to be performed for the judges.

At the discretion of the Music Director, the winner(s)
may be invited to perform with the at either one
of the four Children’s Concerts or with the
Merced Symphony Orchestra at the Spring.

Concert and are expected to do so, if asked. There
is no guarantee of a public performance.

Cash awards are given to the winner(s). Usually
this is--1st Place: $100/2nd Place: $75/3rd Place:
$50.

Contestants are expected to provide their own accompanist.
A piano or keyboard will be available for the accompanist.

A $20 entry fee made payable to the Merced Symphony
Association (MSA) must accompany the completed application.

If you have questions, please call the Symphony
Office, 383-3277 to leave a message or call MSA
President, Judy Edwina Smith, 209-777-5345 or e-mail
sierratrekker@comcast.net.

**Watch
the website for information on next season’s youth
auditions**

Youth
Audition Winner Adrian Pu

Adrian
Pu, 12, is a seventh grader at Harper Junior High school
in Davis, California. He has been studying piano since
the age of five. Currently he studies with Ms. Natsuki
Fukasawa, and prior to that he was with Ms. Huei-Ping
Chen Lin. Over the years, Adrian has placed in numerous
local and statewide piano competitions including the US
New Star Piano Competition, the California Association
of Professional Music Teachers' Contemporary Music Competition,
the Festival of New American Music Young Artist Competition,
and the Go for the Gold Music Competition.

Adrian
also plays chamber music under the instruction of Ms.
Susan Lamb Cook. He has played twice in master classes
led by the Alexander String Quartet. In addition to piano,
Adrian has also studied violin for over three years and
is currently a member of the Sacramento Youth Symphony's
Academic Orchestra.

In
addition to music, Adrian is also interested in sports,
technology, math and being with his friends. He is this
year’s high-points winner for the 11-12 year old
division of the Sacramento Swimming League and has also
won top awards in Sacramento Valley's Swimming Meet of
Champions. Adrian has also played basketball with the
Davis Wildcats team for the past three years and he currently
plays on his school's undefeated 7th grade basketball
team. Furthermore, Adrian enjoys traveling with his family
and has been to ten countries around the world.